Not Applicable.
The present invention relates to nutritional supplementation of feedstuffs. More specifically, eggshell waste is utilized in producing feed grade monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate.
Nutritional demands for calcium and phosphorus in livestock diets are often not met without nutritional supplements. Supplementation is generally necessary, as traditional feedstuffs do not contain an adequate amount of these micronutrients. This nutritional deficit must be addressed, as calcium and phosphorus are critical for the maintenance, growth, and production of livestock. While calcium sources are typically well utilized, phosphorus sources significantly differ in bioavailability. Although the product of the present invention provides both calcium and phosphorus, its commercial value is primarily as a phosphorus source. Effective calcium sources are inexpensive and readily available. Phosphorus sources, in contrast, are typically neither inexpensive nor readily available. In fact, regardless of species, providing effective amounts of phosphorus constitutes the majority of production costs in terms of micronutrient supplementation.
Commercial feed grade phosphates are typically manufactured from limestone and other inorganic cation sources in combination with phosphate sources such as phosphoric acid. Bone, bone derivatives, rock phosphates, salts, and acids are also components of phosphate supplements. Limestone is the calcium carbonate source typically used for conventional products, and the costs associated with mining, processing, transporting, and purifying the limestone are substantial.
The present invention provides an environmentally beneficial and cost-effective method of producing feed grade monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate utilizing an organic byproduct, eggshell waste.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an eggshell derived product which can be utilized as a feed grade calcium and phosphorus source for potential use for all species of livestock.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method to produce an eggshell derived product which can be utilized as a feed grade calcium and phosphorus source for potential use for all species of livestock.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an eggshell derived product, and a method of producing the same, which is biologically equivalent or superior to feed grade dicalcium phosphate, a currently available commercial product.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects are achieved by a method for producing an eggshell-derived product which can be utilized as a feed grade calcium and phosphorous source for livestock, comprising combining eggshell waste and phosphoric acid, using water as a catalyst, to elicit monocalcium phosphate and dicalcium phosphate.